


beasts of burden

by nedstark



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Demon Dean Winchester, M/M, Mention of Panic Attack, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, and probably full of mistakes pls forgive me lovelies, just wanted to get it out there, sad sad sads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 03:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2253900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nedstark/pseuds/nedstark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>an angel up in heaven, a demon down in hell, a human left on earth<br/>even when they're apart they're together</p>
            </blockquote>





	beasts of burden

**Author's Note:**

> ahh just a thing for the otp i wrote a few months ago after being hit by the feels  
> also who isn't a sucker for angel/demon ships?
> 
> based on this convo  
> "But what if like Crowley takes dean as his apprentice or whatever  
> And dean becomes prince of hell??  
> And like god comes back and makes Cas like archangel or something, the next in charge after him  
> AND THEY CAN'T SEE EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR DUTIES IN HEAVEN AND HELL  
> AND SAM IS STUCK ON EARTH ALL LONELY  
> and they all accept their duties, Cas in heaven, Dean in hell, Sam on earth and they always try to make arrangements to meet up on earth and just take a day off but either Dean can't make it or Cas can't or even both of them and Sam understands he really does you know and he's got plenty of work to keep him busy too"
> 
> so this is sorta like a what-if after demon!dean woke up  
> hope you enjoy!

"What about Thursday?" Cas inquires politely.

Dean's mouth curls into a near smirk because its the only thing that'll stop him from cracking. "No can do, feathers. Plenty of no-goods comin' in and they'll need putting in their places fast."

"I understand," Cas says gravely and it hurts, it _goddamn_ hurts, because of course Cas understands, he always has. "Such are the duties of a second in command."

Dean swings his feet up to rest on his desk. "Hey, you know what Crowley's callin' you?"

Cas sighs like he really couldn't care less. "What is Crowley calling me?"

"Hell's angel." Dean grins and can't help chuckling because it fucking tickles him every time. He slaps his knee as his shoulders shake.

He can practically hear Cas roll his eyes. "Crowley never ceases to amaze."

Still grinning with mirth, Dean shrugs his shoulders, nods his agreement, doesn't care that Cas can't actually see him.

"Regardless," Cas continues. "I'm not Hell's angel. I'm your angel." It's said matter of factly enough, but the underlying sincerity in his voice makes Dean's dead heart ache.

"Yeah," he says thickly, trying to discreetly clear the lump in his throat. "Yeah I know."

They're both quiet for a minute. Not sure what else to talk about but not wanting the conversation to inevitably end yet.

They hardly get time to speak and it's a miracle if they manage to get time away. When they do though they go straight to Sam, who's settled into head honcho hunter with surprising ease. He still fully intends to quit the business one day, retire while he's still reasonably young and settle down.

For now there's still work to do.

Strays that managed to avoid their radar. Demons who either decided to flee the rule of the Righteous Man with the Mark of Cain who became second in command of Hell, or demons who left bitterly with a curse on their forked tongue, preferring to take their chances above and pray (to no one in particular) that they're not caught.

Sometimes the guilt is too heavy for Dean to bear it nearly drowns him. He'll go to pick something up only for his hands to shake uncontrollably and he'll realise he's thinking about Sam and worrying, images of his brother alone with his throat ripped open, alone and dying, alone and calling for Dean, always alone, and the panic claws at his chest and he has to drop whatever he's doing in that moment and call Sammy immediately.

Usually Sam will pick up right away and everything will be fine. He'll laugh and tell Dean to stop worrying, that he's fine and he will remain fine because he does in fact know how to look after himself thank you very much.

Dean will quietly sigh in relief every time and snap a, "yeah yeah shut up, bitch," in reply because even though Sam humours him over the phone he's still not big on the whole feelings thing.

"Whatever, jerk," Sam'll reply fondly. "Get your ass up here and drag Cas's down and you can both see for yourselves."

One time when Dean tried to call, Sam didn't pick up.

Half an hour later he still hadn't picked up. Dean was on the edge of a panic attack, called Cas and blurted and pretty much begged (much to his humiliation afterwards) for him to check on Sam.

It had been kinda embarrassing in hindsight, Cas had been calm and reassuring over the phone and Dean had covered his burning face in mortification.

Then he'd heard the oh-so familiar ruffling of feathers and when he'd looked up Cas had been there right in front of him.

He had felt a mess, his head was a mess, his heart was a mess, he _looked_ a fucking mess, but all Cas had done was hang up, gently pluck the phone grasped in Dean's claw like grip, pocketed them both and pulled an unresisting Dean Winchester into his arms.

Dean had gripped him desperately, clutched his hands uselessly in Cas's trenchcoat.

He hadn't been able to blink his eyes back to green for an hour.

(absently Dean thought about what his underlings would say if they saw their boss on the edge of a nervous breakdown and in the arms of an angel. Rumours and witnessing were two very different things. He groaned and buried his head further into Cas's neck)

Cas informed him that Gabriel had gallantly volunteered to go check on Sam and had promptly found him in perfect health, apart from the phone that had been crushed under his boot in a vampire scuffle.

And that was that.

Cas's voice broke him from his reverie. Dean unclenched his hands purposely.

"I have to go," Cas was sighing. "Gabriel is causing havoc for the fledglings."

"Dude don't worry about it, I've got ten and a dozen things on my list too. Call in a few days?"

"I will," Cas promised. "Goodbye, Dean."

Dean glanced around the empty room feeling ridiculously anxious but equally as giddy.

"Love you," he said gruffly into the phone, hanging up before Castiel could reply and shutting the phone away in his drawer.

And even in the deepest darks of Hell, Dean Winchester would swear he could feel the brightness and warmth of Cas's smile from there.


End file.
